NORTH NIBLEY PARISH COUNCIL

2016


AN ORDINARY MEETING OF NORTH NIBLEY PARISH COUNCIL WAS HELD ON MONDAY 7th NOVEMBER 2016, IN THE VILLAGE HALL, NORTH NIBLEY AT 7.30PM.

Present: Mr D Purnell (Chairman), Mr K Brown, Mrs J Burton, Mr S Hale, Mr D Palmer.

District Councillors: Mr K Tucker

The Clerk: Mrs E Oakley

Three members of the public were present.


The Chairman opened the Parish Council Meeting.


  1. The Chairman invited apologies. Apologies were received and accepted from, Cllr C Braun, Cllr G Butcher, Cllr J Cordwell, Cllr K Larkin, Cllr Les Smitherman.

  2. Declaration of Interests. The Chairman invited members to declare any Interests relating to this Meeting. Cllr D Palmer declared an interest in Agenda Item 6. (S.16/2204/HHOLD).

  3. The Council approved and signed the Minutes of the Ordinary Council Meeting held on 3 October 2016 as a true record. The Minutes of the October Ordinary Meeting of the Council had previously been distributed to all members and displayed on the public notice boards and the website. All members agreed the Minutes should be signed, as a true and accurate record. The Minutes were duly signed by the Chairman.


  1. The Council noted matters arising from the Minutes not covered by agenda items. The Clerk referred to her Update Note which she spoke to at the Meeting. She advised:




The Chairman closed the Meeting for Public Discussion and Questions.


  1. Meeting for Public Discussion and Questions. (Open to members of the public to raise issues and ask questions.) Three parishioners were in attendance to provide councillors with a question and answer opportunity with reference to Planning Item: S.16/2188/FUL.

The Chairman re-opened the Meeting without further discussion.

  1. To consider and comment upon Planning Application


The Council supported this application. Councillors considered there are security advantages associated with a residential property on site. Additionally, this was a proven and substantial business operating over many years that would benefit from the proposed development. The development would meet criteria under CP14 for high quality sustainable development. Whilst North Nibley is a Third Tier (accessible settlement with limited facilities), Core Policy 3, this development would be in keeping with CP3 but would also enable sustainable development under CP14.





The Council agreed to make no comment on this application.









Councillors Comments: Councillors requested a Highways Report for this application and raised concerns about the access from the lane of the proposed development onto the main through route to the A38. This route was subject to increased traffic at most times of the day over the last few years and operated less as a country lane than a main through route and also incurred traffic associated with the nearby school. The main through route also experienced parking in the vicinity of the churchyard virtually opposite the access lane to this proposed development. There was also increased footfall along this route at school drop off and leave times. Councillors were also concerned about limited visibility from the lane turning right onto the main through route. A red and black structure at this junction limited visibility (as almost an obstruction). The possibility of a mirror construction opposite the entrance need be considered. Visibility was also poor due to the strong right hand curve of the highway away from the entrance/exit of the lane. Councillors also raised the question as to whether one or more of the two barns in this proposed development were sited outside the settlement boundary/envelope.



  1. The Council noted that the following Planning Applications have been approved by Stroud DC Planning.





  1. The Council received a written report by District Councillor G Butcher from District Councillor K Tucker (verbally) on behalf of the ward’s District Councillors. (See Report aside). The Chairman thanked Councillors Butcher and Tucker for the report submitted and noted Cllr Butcher’s apologies for the meeting. Cllr Tucker drew attention to the vacancy at North Nibley School for a governor, who preferably had local knowledge, and legal and education expertise. He reported he had attended the last two meetings on mineral deposits. The District authority was looking to draw more tourists into the area who may otherwise pass through on route to London, Bath and Stratford. Cllr Jane Burton agreed to attend the next meeting.



Cllr K Tucker reported that the new waste and recycling scheme was progressing well but it had been difficult to have a one size fits all scheme for all 20,000 houses in the area. Cllr D Palmer requested lids for the existing green boxes for paper and cardboard as they had not arrived to date despite twice requesting. Cllr K Tucker undertook to ask for these and report the result. Many householders have said they wanted bins not bags. The disabled have been asked to try bins. Food collection has been double what was expected. This goes to the food digester.



A decision was awaited on Hollywell Farm by the 22nd November. The new university technical college at Berkeley was taking Years 10 and 11 from 2017 onto GCSE and other programmes including cyber security, nuclear industries, and related technical courses in the old Berkeley labs. Councillors agreed that more new technical colleges were needed.



  1. The Council received a written County Council Report from County Councillor Dr J Cordwell. (See report aside). The Chairman thanked Councillor Cordwell for his written report submitted.



  1. The Chairman invited Parish Councillors to report back on meetings they had attended.





  1. Finances.

(1)The Council approved the following Invoices and drew up cheques for items submitted on the enclosed Payments Schedule.






The lower branches of small oak tree. £250.00





(2) The Council approved the schedule of quotes for work:



£200.00


(3)The Council acknowledged from The Clerk receipt of the statement of Council balances.


(4)The Council acknowledged from The Clerk the statement of Bank Reconciliation. This identified all Council transactions over the last seven months.


(5) The Council agreed the date of the 28th of November for the autumn informal Finance meeting prior to budget and precept setting.


  1. (1)The Council received and approved a verbal Report on the Cemetery from the Clerk. (Report aside). The Clerk reported parishioner compliments about the recent Council work in the cemetery had been received. Councillors noted the recent painting of the cemetery gate and immediate railings in black as the recommended colour for hard wearing use. Councillors identified the garden of remembrance for consideration for further improvements. The Chairman undertook to arrange a site visit with a local contractor to look at options for, scraping, spraying, and treating moss and lichen, on the main cemetery path.


(2).The Council received and decided upon a written report on St Martin’s Churchyard Closed. (Report aside). Councillors acknowledged the Clerk’s report on the churchyard. She reported that she had produced a photographic record documenting the condition of the main churchyard wall at the end of October which she would submit to councillors separately. Councillors noted the importance of setting aside some funds each financial year for wall maintenance. The Chairman undertook to review the growth of ivy on the wall and also the telegraph pole behind. For major future works to the wall, the issue of road closure and the costs associated were noted.



  1. To consider developments towards the Council’s new website (report aside). The Clerk informed councillors that major design and software work was nearing completion on the new website. The software developer had let the Clerk know the site was not far from “Live status”. However the Clerk noted that final checks needed to be made to ensure that all appropriate documents had been transferred to the new site. The main outstanding issue was the automatic uploading of Planning Alerts to the new site. Cllr K Tucker and Cllr D Palmer agreed that it was a matter of receiving these as a direct output from the Planning authority and K Tucker undertook to pursue the issue of the correct format for this with Stroud District Council.


  1. To consider date for January 2017 Council meeting. The Council confirmed this as Monday 9th of January due to the Bank Holiday on the 2nd of January.



  1. The Council noted for information details of Correspondence & Messages received during October. The Clerk highlighted receipt of a letter from Stroud and District Motor Club giving forward notice of a local event in February 2017. Councillors discussed the receipt of correspondence concerning the future of BT boxes in the Parish. Options for their future would be looked at including possible painting of them. Councillors noted that workmen had been seen replacing the telecommunications box at Warren Hill. BT had previously said they would keep the Council informed of this work on a regular basis. The Clerk undertook to contact BT for a regular update on the work.


  1. There being no further business the Chairman declared the meeting closed at 9.10 pm.



The Chairman announced the next Meeting of the Parish Council will be held in the Village Hall on Monday 5 December 2017 at 7.30 pm. The Clerk acknowledged receipt of a councillor apology for the December meeting.

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